Method and Water Heating System

ABSTRACT

This disclosure is related to a device, systems, and techniques for controlling a temperature of water contained by a water heater, the systems being add-ons to the thermostat circuitry, a controller includes a thermocouple interface, communication circuitry configured to receive one or more user inputs, from one or more members of a household or business, from multiple user devices, cell phones or computers or others, each device containing a water temperature control software application for communicating with the thermostat circuitry, an electronic signal, the controller includes processing circuitry configured to identify, from the electronic signal, one or more requests for changes in the water temperature within the water tank.

BACKGROUND

Hot water in the home or work place are essential for showering, cleaning, cooking and other daily activities are considered essential for daily living. Hot water requirements are met today by tank-type water heating systems which keep the heat up all day long, though that might not, and probably is not, necessary. Tank-type water heaters have a control circuitry which consists to a thermostat that reads the temperature, and activates the burner controls when the temperature falls below the thermostat's setting. Thermostats may be set by, hand, or by a control circuitry, and they may be configured on a timer that changes the thermostat setting depending on the time of the day. The thermostats to have a set point temperature, and the ability to activate a pilot light which ignites a main burner configured to heat the water tank. Tank-type systems may also have controls to control the amount of water within the water tank.

The trouble with current tank-type technologies is that they operate on a fixed schedule without the ability to adjust for the changing needs, which could change daily of a family or business. The solution is a thermostat that can be remotely adjusted for temperature from one or more cell phones and one or more computer monitors, which may be in the home or business or at a remote location. The key to the application is that intelligent thermostats already exists, and that communication modules and power controllers can easily be added to the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following proposes an approach that eliminates the need for the hot water system to have high heat all day long, and instead introducing a system that can heat water up only when it is needed, the system allows household members or business employees to change the system parameters from cell phones, computers, or other electronic devices, which have the correct water temperature control software loaded, by communicating with the thermostat circuitry through either a new temperature controller with a user interface, or an add-on module to the temperature controller containing a user interface, the temperature controller contains a communication module that directs the temperature setting circuitry of the thermostat circuitry. This application is directed to devices, systems, and techniques for controlling an ability to set to temperature parameters from a remote location, the water temperature is regulated by the thermostat circuitry. Households typically have one water heater in their hot water system. Businesses may have one or more water tanks, boilers, and water sources which are configured to supply hot water, via a piping system, to one or more water supply valves of a building.

A piping system from the hot water tank may include one or more pipes and one or more water supply valves for showers, sinks, bathtubs, washing machines and possibly coffee machines, and other such appliances and devices. A water tank may supply hot water to a water supply valve such as a shower valve via the piping system. A temperature of the water stored by the water tank may affect a temperature of water which exits the one or more water supply valves of the piping system. For this application, the temperature controller of this application receives an input to change a set point temperature of the water to be less than a lower bound temperature value or greater than an upper bound temperature value.

It may be beneficial for the temperature controller of this application to output a notification in response to receiving information indicative of a user request to change a set point temperature to be less than the lower bound temperature value or greater than the upper bound temperature value. A user device may display the notification of the attempt to change the set point temperature.

The temperature controller is configured to control a temperature of water contained by a water tank, where the temperature controller includes a communication module to receive one or more user inputs indicative of a request to change the water temperature of the water heater.

The summary is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter described in this application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the systems, device, and methods described in detail within the accompanying drawings and description below. Further details of one or more examples of this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for controlling an ability to change a set point temperature for water stored by water tank using a controller.

FIG. 2 is the illustration of a temperature controller with an user interface connected to wires for the pilot light the main control and the thermocouple.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system including the controller of FIG. 1 , in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of how the module of this application, with additional features might be attached to an existing temperature controller.

DESCRIPTION OF NUMBERS IN DRAWINGS

-   -   1. User Interface 1 A     -   1B-N. This denotes there could multiple uses that could input         changes     -   1N. User Interface 1 N (last user)     -   2. Network     -   3. Water temperature control system     -   4. Controller, existing temperature controller plus the add on         module (or complete module) with the additional control elements         of this application     -   5. Water control circuit.     -   6. Pilot Light Igniter     -   7. Pilot Light     -   8. Main Burner     -   9. Water Heater Yank     -   10. Piping System     -   11. Temperature controller with user interface     -   12. Wires to the pilot light system     -   13. Wires to the main burner control     -   14. Thermocouple and wiring     -   15. Temperature controller with add on features of this         application     -   16. Processing Circuitry     -   17. Communication Circuitry     -   18. Memory     -   19. Sensors (including thermocouple)     -   20. User Interface     -   21. Display     -   22. Power wire     -   23. Existing temperature controller     -   24. Add on module with the features of this application     -   25. Outgoing wires, including to the thermocouple, pilot light         system and main burner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This application describes a device, systems, and techniques for using a water heating system to enable or disable an ability to control a set point temperature for water held by a water tank using a temperature controller. In some examples, the temperature controller may be proximate to the water tank and may include any one or combination of an analog user interface (e.g., a dial) or a digital interface (e.g., a touchscreen) configured to receive a user input indicative of an attempt to change the set point temperature. In this application, the temperature controller is configured to communicate with one or more user devices, which could include cell phones, computers or other electronic devices, which have had water temperature control software which allows user to communicate with the temperature controller, and displays a user interface on the electronic device. A user electronic device (cell phone, computer, or other) may receive a notification of an attempt to change the set point temperature for the water held by the water tank using the temperature controller proximate to the water tank.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a water temperature control system 3 for controlling an ability to change a set point temperature for water stored by water tank 9 using a temperature controller 3. As seen in FIG. 1 , system 3 includes user devices 1A-1N (collectively, “user devices 1”), a network 2, (which could include the internet, cell phone networks), and existing water tank control circuits 5, which includes a pilot spark ignitor 6, pilot light 7, main burner 8, water tank 9, and piping system 10. In some cases, local water temperature control system 3 may be located within a building, within any one or more of a set of buildings, proximate to a building or a set of buildings, or any combination thereof.

User devices 1A-1N may be any suitable communication or computing device, such as a conventional or landline phone, or a mobile, non-mobile, wearable, and/or non-wearable computing device capable of communicating over network 2 (e.g., smart phones, tablets, smart watches, laptop computers, desktop computers, or any combination thereof.)

FIG. 2 show what the temperature controller with user interface 11 would look like. This user interface and controller may have a module attached with the components of this application, or it may be a temperature controller with all the features of this application included. Coming out of the temperature controller 11, and communication wires to the pilot light systems 12, communication wires to the main burner 13 and wires to the thermocouple 14.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the system of this application. As seen in FIG. 3 , the system includes user devices 1A-1N, a communication network 1, a controller 15 and a water tank control circuit 5. Controller 15 includes processing circuitry 16, memory 18, communication circuitry 17, sensor(s) 19, user interface 20, and display 21.

Processing circuitry 16 may include one or more processors that are configured to implement functionality and/or process instructions for execution within controller 15. For example, processing circuitry 16 may be capable of processing instructions stored in a memory.

Communication circuitry 17 may include any suitable hardware, firmware, software or any combination thereof for communicating with another device, such as user devices 1A-N or water tank control circuit 24. Under the control of processing circuitry 102, communication circuitry 5 may receive downlink telemetry from, as well as send uplink telemetry to, user devices 1A-N, water tank control circuit 5, or another device. Communication circuitry 17 may include any combination of a Bluetooth® radio, an electronic oscillator, frequency modulation circuitry, frequency demodulation circuitry, amplifier circuitry, and power switches such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a junction field effect transistor (JFET), or another element that uses voltage or current for its control.

In some examples, processing circuitry 16 communicates with sensor(s) 19. Sensor(s) 19 may include any one or combination of temperature sensors, accelerometers touch sensors, motion sensors, or dial rotation sensors. Sensor(s) 19 may generate signals which are relevant to an operation of one or both of controller 15 or water tank control circuit 5.

User interface 20, in some examples, may include one or more components configured to receive information indicative of one or more user inputs. For examples, user interface 20 may include a dial or up and down buttons, or a touch screen.

Display 21 may display information indicative of one or more parameter values such as one or more temperature set point values for water held by a water tank. Additionally, or alternatively, display 21 may display information indicative of a current temperature of water held by the water tank. Display 21 of controller 15 may function as an output device using any one or more display devices, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), dot matrix display, light emitting diode (LED) display, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, c-ink, or similar monochrome or color display capable of outputting visible information to a user.

Memory 18 may be configured to store data indicative of one or more control parameter values for the system. For example, the one or more control parameter values may include one or more temperature set point values for water held by a water tank.

FIG. 4 is a basic diagram that shows a module 24 with components of this application behind an existing temperature controller 23, (in some cases the module 24 will be in front of the existing temperature controller with power lines 22 into the existing temperature 23 and exit lines form the module which sends or receives signals from the pilot light system, main burner, thermocouple and other sensing devices. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A temperature controller configured to control a temperature of water contained by a water tank, wherein the controller comprises: a user interface with a display to change the parameters of the water tank control system that raises or lower water temperature within the water tank; communication circuitry configured to receive from one or more inputs from an electronic computing devices such as smart phones, tablets, smart watches, laptop computers, desktop computers, electronic devices with a water control temperature software installed designed to send messages from the communication circuitry, capable of communicating over a public or private network; the communication circuitry also configured to send to users notifications when the parameters of the water tank control circuitry have been changed, processing circuitry configured to identify, from the electronic signal from the communication circuitry, sensors, and requests from devices with the water temperature control software, to activate adjustments to the water tank control circuit to raise or lower the water temperature in the water tank, the adjustments can be from preset parameters in memory, or based upon the user communicating with the temperature controller with unique parameters that may or not be stored in memory; memory storage to record all users with access to the temperature controller, and to store all preset and custom parameters to the temperature controller. 